Which Gem Should I Wear?

Precious gems are as old as civilization. They have been prized for their
beauty, value and mystical appeal for thousands of years. Why? Jyotish
and the occult sciences in general suggest that it is because gems have
a very strong effect on the subtle "electrical" currents of
our bodies (physical, astral and causal). Based on my experience with
Jyotish gems (wearing them myself and recommending them to my clients
for over 15 years), I can attest to the veracity of that statement.

How Gems Are Recommended

The appropriate gem should enhance the good karma and suppress the bad
karma of one's Jyotish chart. In Jyotish, there are four main schools
of thought on recommending gems:

Enhance the strong planets in the chart.

Strengthen the weak planets in the chart.

Improve the rulers of certain important houses in the native's chart
(usually houses 1, 5, and 9. Sometimes the lords of houses 4, 7 and
10 are also strengthened.)

Emphasize the ruler of the planetary period (dasha) the native is
in.

I primarily go by rule Number 3 and, secondarily, by rule Number 1. As
my Indian Jyotish guru, Narendra Desai said, "Always bet on a winning
horse." I take this one step further - I generally bet only on the
ruler of the chart (the lord of the 1st house, which is the Ascendant)
and its friends (the rulers of the 5th house and the 9th house).

Michael's Subsidiary Gem Recommendation Rules

There are several other subsidiary rules that I almost always use when
recommending a gem to a client:

Note: I am using the sidereal zodiac, NOT the tropical zodiac (Western
Astrology).

A. One can readily wear the gem corresponding to a natural benefic -
the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. Generally, one should avoid the
gems related to natural malefics. Specifically, I seldom suggest the gems
referring to Rahu and Ketu: the Hessonite garnet and the chrysoberyl cat's
eye, respectively. And, only occasionally do I suggest the Blue Sapphire
(the stone for Saturn) and then usually for Taurus and Libra Rising signs.
Saturn rules both an angle and a trine for both ascendants.

B. Generally, use a primary gem weighing no more than 4 carats (5 carats
for a red coral). The primary gems for the planets Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury,
Jupiter, Venus and Saturn are, respectively: ruby, pearl, red coral, emerald,
yellow sapphire, diamond and blue sapphire. The ruby and the diamond,
being the most powerful of gems, should not be over 2 carats each.

C. Only recommend the ruler of an angle house if it is a friend to the
lord of the 1st house. For example, according to this rule one could use
a pearl for Aries rising and a ruby for Scorpio rising. One may not use
the gem relating the ruler of houses 4, 7, or 10 for the other ascendants.

D. When using a blue sapphire, it is better to avoid very dark blue,
almost opaque sapphires. I prefer light to medium blue sapphires. That
way, the effect of the gem is less harsh, and the price of the stone is
often more reasonable, too.

E. If one does not know the time of birth, consult a "seer"
who can "see" the chakras and the gem's effects on them before
wearing any gem whatsoever. (I provide this service.)

F. It is better to use no gem at all rather than the wrong gem. Gems
are not expensive candy. They are more like expensive poison (like prescription
drugs). Just like an intelligent person would not use a drug for which
he does not have a prescription, so the cautious gem buyer will only use
a gem recommended by a competent Vedic astrologer or Ayurvedic doctor.
Diamonds are utter anathema to approximately one half of the population
(based on the rising sign). Do NOT use a diamond unless you are sure that
it is good for you. Diamond is probably okay for Taurus, Gemini, Virgo,
Libra, Capricorn and Aquarius ascendants. Note: A very intuitive, "enlightened"
person can feel the effects of the gem on his or her body and can, more
or less, trust their own intuition. However, people with this level of
refinement are somewhat more rare than hen's teeth.

G. Like physicians, the first rule for those dealing in or recommending
gems should be, "First do no harm."

H. I do NOT often recommend the blue sapphire for Capricorn or Aquarius
rising signs even though it corresponds to Saturn, the ruler of the 1st
house for both ascendants. Rather, I find that diamond and emerald (relating
to the rulers of the 5th and 9th houses for both) work very well.

I admit that there are other, esoteric systems of recommending gems that
one may employ. My cautious, conservative approach has been found to work
based on my experience with several hundred clients over the years.

Gem Buying Tips

One should both "like" the gem one is considering using and
it should give a good feeling within the first day of its use. ALWAYS
try before you buy. On the other hand, if the stone you are examining
seems to cause undesirable events, DO NOT BUY IT, no matter how good a
deal it seems to be.

Do NOT buy a gem that has black marks in it. Do NOT buy gems that have
BIG flaws (please note that emeralds are never flawless). In general,
consider only gems that are not set yet. A clever jeweler may conceal
many flaws by setting the gem in a special way (but this especially applies
to emeralds).

Clarity (lack of flaws) is more important than color when thinking about
acquiring a Jyotish gem.

If your hour of birth is unknown, you may consult me for my refined intuition
services. I can see chakras at a distance. You hold one gem at a time
in your hand, and I can "see" the effects of that gem on your
chakras.

(c) copyright 2004 Michael Laughrin.

(Portions of this article were originally published in January 2002;
this article was edited, expanded and republished in the June 2004 issue
of Michael Laughrin's North American Jyotish Newsletter. Click to subscribe to this free Jyotish newsletter.
)